Pass protection poor

Texas Tech's Seth Doege is hit by Oklahoma State's Nigel Nicholas during their game on Saturday in Stillwater.

Avalanche-Journal

Pass protection poor

Seth Doege had been sacked 15 times through 10 games heading into Saturday’s game against Oklahoma State.

The Cowboys sacked the senior quarterback three times in a little more than a quarter, and the intense pass rush led to a bevy of other Tech mistakes. With Tech trailing, 14-7, in the second quarter, Nigel Nicholas used a spin move to get by left tackle LaAdrian Waddle and drop Doege for a sack.

Two plays later, with Doege facing intense pressure again on third-and-15, he threw an interception to Shamiel Gary. The Cowboys scored two plays later on a 33-yard flea-flicker pass from Clint Chelf to Isaiah Anderson, the second of three touchdown connections between the two.

Two of Oklahoma State’s sacks came from defensive tackle James Castleman, who also picked off Doege in the third quarter, dropping back in coverage after feigning a pass rush.

“Texas Tech is known for taking big splits (on the offensive line),” OSU defensive coordinator Bill Young said, “and it ended up helping us a little bit. Great effort from the front four.”

Injuries didn’t help the cause for the offensive line.

Waddle exited the game with a right knee injury in the second quarter and did not return. He was seen wearing a knee brace after the game. Terry McDaniel moved from right tackle to left tackle after Waddle went out. Le’Raven Clark replaced McDaniel at right tackle. Backup guards Alfredo Morales — who also left with an injury — James Polk and Jared Kaster were pressed into action with mixed success.

“(Center Deveric Gallington) had his hands full when we had to shuffle the offensive line around,” Tech coach Tommy Tuberville said.

Injuries hamper Tech

The injuries began piling up for Texas Tech during its lopsided loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Starting left tackle LaAdrian Waddle left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury. Tech coach Tommy Tuberville said he didn’t know the severity of Waddle’s injury, but he made it seem doubtful the senior will be ready for Tech’s game against Baylor next week.

An offensive line that has stayed relatively healthy this season also suffered a blow when guard Alfredo Morales went down with a shoulder injury that has hampered him for much of the season.

Tech wide receiver Alex Torres did not play Saturday because of a chronic back problem that flared up during the team’s walk-through on Friday.

Cornerback Cornelius Douglas, who hasn’t played since the first quarter of Tech’s game against West Virginia on Oct. 13, was dressed Saturday and served as a captain, but he never got in the game.

“He was practicing good before the game,” Tuberville said of Douglas, “(but) he didn’t feel like he could open up and run full speed.”

Backup nickel back Jarvis Phillips returned to the lineup Saturday after the missing the last two games with an injury. Defensive tackle Dennell Wesley also returned Saturday after missing the Kansas game because of a death in the family.

Tight end Jace Amaro missed his fifth straight game with an unidentified injury he suffered during the West Virginia game.

Chelf gets start, Walsh plays

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy kept everyone guessing as to who his starting quarterback would be right up until the final hour before game time Saturday.

Gundy opted for junior Clint Chelf, who had thrown for almost 300 yards and four touchdowns in his first career start against West Virginia one week earlier.

It was more of the same for the longtime backup, as he shredded the Tech defense to the tune of 229 yards and three touchdowns, all of them going to Isaiah Anderson in the first half.

Redshirt freshman quarterback J.W. Walsh also made his first appearance since injuring his leg on Oct. 20. Walsh was used in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kye Staley in the first quarter and added a 2-yard rushing touchdown in the second.

“We have not been good with short yardage near the goal line for three years,” Gundy said, “so we’re trying to work through it and find ways to become a better short-yardage team. (Walsh) allowed us to improve with his running ability.”

Mistakes crippling

Texas Tech, the Big 12 Conference’s most penalized team, lived up to its reputation on Saturday.

The Red Raiders committed five penalties for 40 yards in the first half alone, and several of them were costly. Tech committed a chop-block penalty — its third in as many games — on its second drive, with the Red Raiders trailing, 7-0. Later in the drive, with Tech facing a second-and-1 at the Oklahoma State 37, a pass interference penalty that would have moved Tech deep into Cowboys territory, was waved off when the Red Raiders committed an offsetting personal foul penalty.

Tech, which finished with eight penalties for 70 yards, was forced to punt later in the drive.

A holding penalty on Tech’s first drive of the second half — with the Red Raiders trailing, 35-14 — wiped out a 14-yard first-down run by Kenny Williams, a play that Tech coach Tommy Tuberville said extinguished any momentum the Red Raiders needed to have hopes of a second-half comeback.

“We just never got any consistency,” Tuberville said. “The little things just kept us from getting any momentum.”

Seth Doege threw his second interception of the game two plays after the holding call, and the Cowboys converted the turnover into a touchdown that erased any doubt about the outcome.

Bowl choices narrow

Representatives for the Alamo and Holiday bowls were in attendance at Saturday’s game between Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, but the Red Raiders likely lost their shot at receiving a bid to the former following a 59-21 loss to the Cowboys.

Tech’s bowl-destinations list appears to be down to the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl (Dec. 29, Tempe, Ariz.) and the Holiday Bowl (Dec. 27, San Diego). Where the Red Raiders end up could be affected by how many Big 12 Conference teams earn Bowl Championship Series bids. If two league teams crack the BCS picture, Tech would likely play in Tempe, especially if it beats Baylor next week in Arlington.

If only one Big 12 team is in the BCS, a more crowded lineup of teams fighting for the other bowls could push Tech down to the Holiday Bowl.

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Ok back to the sideline incident. Slap or not, the obvious lie Tuberville tried to pass off as an explanation needs to be addressed. Lying is one thing. Lying then getting your guts stomped out the following Saturday is more serious, although your willingness to purposely and poorly convey a falsehood to your fans and supporters is deplorable as a singular act. And now, the weak response by one or more hancers including a poorly conceived insult and/or a predictable comment about Mike Leach.